Inside Rockies All-Star Charlie Blackmon’s Tech-Infused Training

Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies and the National League bats in the eighth inning during the MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park on Jul. 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Rockies All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon has a mullet down to his shoulders, the bushy beard of a caveman, and a finance degree from Georgia Tech. His ragged appearance belies an insatiable curiosity and interest in numbers.

Blackmon, who has been one of baseball’s best offensive players the past three seasons, has begun introducing data-collecting technologies into his training program under the guidance of Mike Berenger at Rapid Sports Performance on the outskirts of Atlanta. The devices he uses already range from simple (a heart-rate monitor) to sophisticated (velocity-based training tools), and Berenger plans to add more this coming offseason.

Until he started tracking his heart rate, Blackmon could never satisfy his appetite ...